“When you go through deep waters I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you” (Isaiah 43:2).

I will be with you . . . The Lord God made this promise to every major biblical leader, from Abraham to the apostle Paul. He promised His presence to be with us, He said don’t be afraid, because He would never leave us nor forsake us and difficulties would never overtake us (Joshua 1:5). He did not say, that we would not have difficulties, but He said when hard times come; do not worry because I AM with you.

As a matter of fact, He tells us that in this life, we will have tribulations, but take courage because He has overcome the world (Joh 16:33). If “I AM’ is with you, what can harm you? The Lord told Joshua that “No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live (Joshua 1:5). Many, many times in the Bible, God reminds us how much He loves us and not to worry. Scripture passages from several epistles, says have joy when trials come (James 1:2) because you already know that I’m going to cause it to work together for your good (Romans 8:28).
The Lord God told Moses that His presence would be visible to His people as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 33:14). The Psalmist declares, even if your mother and father forsake you, God will take you up (Psalms 27:10). Paul states in Romans, “that nothing can separate us from the Love of God, nothing (Romans 8:35-39).

I’ve also noticed that whenever God gives an assignment, He declares, not to fear because He is with them. Of course, they were afraid and we get anxious too, when God asks us to do something that is beyond our perceived ability. He doesn’t stop there, He goes on to declare that, nobody will hurt you; and the rivers of difficulty or the fire of oppression will not consume you. So, how can I be afraid or despair about anything when I know that God is with me? Because I’m still subject to human frailty and need to call on the Lord for His graciousness, to help me overcome fears. Just think about it, the Creator of all things, the whole universe, including us, is with us.

The all-powerful, all knowing and everywhere present God–He’s our Father, who chooses to dwell with us. There is something about “knowing” that God is with me that truly gives me so much comfort, a guarantee and a sense of His living presence. How powerful is this truth that God is always with me. He promises to never leave me nor forsake me! The reality of God’s presence is the calming salve of assurance that brings peace and grace to my heart. My self-talk affirms that I am not afraid because God is with me. I can do whatever He told me to do because He is with me. Even this difficult trial, I will get through this because God is with me. I’m hurting and discouraged, but God is with me, so thank you Lord for your healing touch. It is God, Him alone who makes the difference in my life. His presence is not only more than enough, He is enough.

ATAMI

All Things Artistic Ministries, Inc. (ATAMI) is a worship arts ministry whose mission is to glorify God and serve humanity through the arts. For a full description of the ministry go to www.ataminc.com. ATAMI is a 501c3 tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible.